Stakeholder relations and maintaining the licence to operate: a comparative case study of the Swiss telecommunications industry

Purpose – In the research project “Good practices of stakeholder view” three firms in the Swiss telecommunications industry were analysed in order to compare their stakeholder involvement. This paper seeks to illustrate how these three firms, namely Swisscom, Sunrise, and Orange, dealt with a particular problem all of them faced: the deployment of antennas for mobile telephony that in some cases was strongly opposed by the population. Thereby, the “Telco” firms were challenged as societal institutions and had to defend their licence to operate. The three firms chose different strategies to deal with the problem. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on comparative case studies that combine qualitative and quantitative aspects. Findings – The benefits of good stakeholder relations are illustrated as well as the problems that might arise when stakeholders are ignored. Research limitations/implications – The findings are based on a sample of three telecommunication firms. Practical implications – The paper suggests good practices for firms that aim to improve their stakeholder interactions. Originality/value – This paper sheds light on the value of different strategies in the stakeholder relations to maintain a firm's licence to operate and to pursue its business in the intended way.